Declaration of nutrition information on and nutritional quality of Thai ready-to-eat packaged food products

Objective: The present study assessed the nutrition information displayed on ready-to-eat packaged foods and the nutritional quality of those food products in Thailand. Design: In March 2015, the nutrition information panels and nutrition and health claims on ready-to-eat packaged foods were collected from the biggest store of each of the twelve major retailers, using protocols developed by the International Network for Food and Obesity/Non-communicable Diseases Research, Monitoring and Action Support (INFORMAS). The Thai Nutrient Profile Model was used to classify food products according to their nutritional quality as 'healthier' or 'less healthy'. Results: In total, information from 7205 food products was collected across five broad food categories. Out of those products, 5707 (79.2 %), 2536 (35.2 %) and 1487 (20.6 %) carried a nutrition facts panel, a Guideline Daily Amount (GDA) label and health-related claims, respectively. Only 4691 (65.1 %) and 2484 (34.5 %) of the products that displayed the nutrition facts or a GDA label, respectively, followed the guidelines of the Thai Food and Drug Administration. In total, 4689 products (65.1 %) could be classified according to the Thai Nutrient Profile Model, of which 432 products (9.2 %) were classified as healthier. Moreover, among the 1487 products carrying health-related claims, 1219 (82.0 %) were classified as less healthy. Allowing less healthy food products to carry claims could mislead consumers and result in overconsumption of ready-to-eat food products. Conclusions: The findings suggest effective policies should be implemented to increase the relative availability of healthier ready-to-eat packaged foods, as well as to improve the provision of nutrition information on labels in Thailand.